Saint Lucians are being empowered with practical, innovative solutions to strengthen food security, improve health outcomes, and create new economic opportunities through the Caribbean Agricultural Research and Development Institute’s (CARDI) annual Open Day and Home Food Systems Conference. The initiative highlights how backyard gardening and small-scale farming can be transformed into resilient, income-generating systems that directly benefit households and communities across the island.
Through hands-on training, exhibitions, and research showcases, CARDI continues to support farmers and home gardeners with improved planting materials, climate-resilient crops, and value-added technologies, while advancing research in nutrition, natural pest control, and non-communicable disease prevention in collaboration with the Ministry’s national and regional partners.
Speaking on the impact of this year’s activities, CARDI Country Representative and Scientist, Barry Innocent said, “The theme this year is Transformative Home Food Systems, focusing on how traditional home or backyard gardening can be transformed through value addition and more innovative approaches. We are showcasing demonstrations of value-added products such as plantain, dasheen, macambo, and sweet potato chips, alongside presentations on creative culinary uses of crops like yams. The aim is to demonstrate how backyard gardening can evolve from basic production into higher-value outcomes.”
Innocent further spoke to CARDI’s long-term investment in human capital and innovation. “Youth in agriculture is very important to CARDI. That is why we continue to assess youth training needs in Saint Lucia and collaborate with partners, including IT specialists and private sector companies, to explore areas such as robotics in farming. By providing the training young people want, we can encourage their participation and help drive the future of agriculture,” he added.
CARDI’s work from climate-resilient yams and sweet potatoes to research on natural insect repellents and alternative sweeteners highlights its commitment to building resilient farming systems that improve livelihoods, public health, and national food sustainability for Saint Lucia and the wider Caribbean.